Aurelia Williams

Biography:Dr. Aurelia T. Williams is Professor of Computer Science and Founding Director of the Cybersecurity Complex at Norfolk State University (NSU). She has been a successful manager and has been actively involved in Cybersecurity. Her research has focused on the application of Digital Forensics applied to Cloud Computing via the Information Assurance – Research, Education and Development Institute (IA-REDI), located at NSU, in addition to other aspects of Information Assurance and Security. A most notable accomplishment is hosting Vice President Joe Biden, Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Congressman Bobby Scott and Dept. of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, in an unprecedented visit to NSU to award $25M from the Department of Energy (DoE) where NSU leads a consortium of 13 schools and two Department of Energy laboratories to increase the workforce pipeline in Cybersecurity. Dr. Williams currently serves as the Primary Investigator for this effort. She is a Co-PI of the NSF Scholarship for Service grant and has served as a mentor to students in the program. She is also a researcher on the Center of Excellence in Cybersecurity Research project. Dr. Williams uses these opportunities to serve as a research advisor to graduate and undergraduate students completing their theses, projects and capstone courses.

As the former Chair of the Computer Science department at NSU, she managed oversight of two graduate programs in Computer Science and Cybersecurity and two undergraduate programs in Computer Science and Information Technology. In that role, she helped the Cybersecurity initiative to grow across the departments at NSU, regionally and nationally. During her stewardship as chair of the Computer Science department, the Cybersecurity initiative has received 33 million dollars in Cybersecurity funding, received re-designation as a DHS/NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education, launched a MS Cybersecurity program which was featured as one of the “Top 50 Online Cybersecurity Programs 2018,” by Cyber Security Master’s Degree, and recognized among the Best Online Colleges in Virginia in 2016. Dr. Williams was also featured with the MS Cybersecurity program as a highly regarded online cybersecurity program.

Dr. Williams is a member of three professional and honorary societies. She volunteers in her community where she participates in various programs that promote the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields to students from elementary to college age. In addition to offering presentations on Cybersecurity topics to her peers and children, she was featured on the cover of BEHOLD, NSU’s Alumni magazine for her work in successfully encouraging underrepresented students to pursue Computer Science and Cybersecurity. She received a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Norfolk State University, a master’s degree in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University and a doctoral degree from Pace University in New York.